The Boy in the Woods (2014 Wattys Winner, Wattpad Version)

Chapter 27 - It's Time to Cry

After James dragged Marty out of the house, Annie closed the door.  Uncle Jonathon strode to the telephone and Jess’s heart leapt in her throat watching him lift the receiver.  Was he going back on his word and calling the police after all?

“What are you doing?” Annie cried out with concern, obviously thinking the same thing.

“I have to tell someone I’m running late,” he muttered angrily, his finger pushing the dial with quick, harsh movements. 

“You still have time to make your flight,” Annie said gently in an attempt to sooth him.  “James will be back soon.”  He shot her a harsh glance, holding up his hand to signal her to be quiet.

“Leonard!” he barked into the phone, turning his back on her.  “I’ve been delayed.”

As he continued to speak, Jess started up the stairs.  Now that she knew he wasn’t calling the police, she had to get to her bedroom. 

“Jess,” Doug said quietly as she passed him, but she didn’t stop.    

He followed behind her and she quickened her steps.  She didn’t want to talk to him.  She couldn’t, not now.  When she reached her bedroom door, he was still behind her, and she wheeled around.

“What is it, Doug?” she hissed, struggling to hold back the tears that were threatening to come. 

“Do you really think that?” he asked fervently.  “Do you really think I’m – I’m mean – like my father?”  She could see the pain in his eyes, and she suddenly felt guilty for hurting him.  He wasn’t a bad person, but – she didn’t have time for this.

“No, I don’t think it,” she said with a sigh.  “But calling someone you don’t even know a piece of trash?  That’s a terrible thing to say, let alone think!  That’s how your father treats people, Doug!”  He hung his head and his shoulders slumped.  Watching him stand there, she could feel precious seconds slipping away.  “I don’t want to talk about it anymore,” she said abruptly.  She slipped inside her room and had the door closed before he lifted his head.

Rushing to the bay window, she saw James escorting Marty down the drive, but just as she feared, she was too late.  Within seconds they’d disappeared behind the trees.  No longer able to hold back the flood of emotions, she collapsed on her bed and began crying.  The same intense pain she’d felt when she found out her parents had died overwhelmed her, knowing that might be the last time she’d ever see him on the property again. 

Grabbing a pillow to muffle her sobs, she curled in a ball, wondering how she was going to go on without him.  She would spend the entire summer alone and when she finally saw him at school, she wouldn’t be able to speak to him, or even acknowledge she knew him.  What was going to happen to him?  How was he going to survive without her?  He needed her just as much as she needed him.

Hearing car doors slam through her open window, she sat up hiccupping, and wiped her face.  Peering out the window, she saw the black car drive away.  Uncle Jonathon was leaving on his trip, and one thought filled her mind; she had to go to the cabin.  She had to know if Marty was there.

Running through her bathroom, she eased the door open and listened.  The only sound was the ice box motor running, and she crept down the stairs.  As soon as she was certain the kitchen was empty, she was out the back door and racing down the drive.  By time she'd entered the woods, she was out of breath and had to slow down, clutching at a stitch in her side.  But she didn’t care about the pain.  It gave her something to concentrate on so she wouldn’t think about what she might find at the cabin.

When she reached the clearing, a thrill of joy ran through her.  The front door was wide open. 

He came back.